The island of Hawaii, the island formerly known as the Big Island, is the largest of the Hawaiian islands. It is nearly twice the size of all the other islands combined and is the largest island in the US. When I first starting learning about the Hawaiian islands, this one intrigued me the most. Did you know there are 11 of the world’s thirteen climate zones on the island of Hawaii? That’s amazing – the only two it’s missing are the cold continental climate and the polar cap climate (from the Koppen climate rating system).
Island of Hawaii
The population of the big island is far less than the population of Oahu and Maui. It has only 13% of the state’s population despite being 63% of the land mass. The island is also the youngest island, having been formed by volcanic eruptions after the rest of the islands were formed. Of the five volcanoes that make up the landmass of the big island, only Kilauea, Hualalai, and Mauna Loa are active. Kilauea has been continuously erupting since 1983. If you’ve seen recent pictures of lava flowing into the ocean, that was Kilauea; it has since stopped (November 2017 or so). Both Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea (dormant) have the potential to erupt again.
Regions on the Big Island
There are approximately six distinct regions to the island of Hawaii. The first is the most popular with visitors: the Kohala coast. This is the region just north of Kona, one of the major airports on the island. Kohala is home to many of the resorts, like Fairmont, Mauna Lani, and Mauna Kea. The Four Seasons is about twenty minutes south, near Hualalai. Hilo is the second major town on the island and home to the second airport. Hilo is on the east side of the island, north of the volcanoes and against a backdrop of farmland. North of Hilo are the Kohala mountains and the famous gorges. While one of the gorges is accessible by road, to really see the full beauty you must take a helicopter ride!
South of Hilo, the volcanic eruption is evident, especially from the air. This is the Puna region, which a lot of natives consider to be Pele’s workshop. Pele is the volcanic goddess, the one who plays with fire and created the land. As long as Hawaii continues to morph into new landscape, Pele is alive and kicking. There are various versions of Pele’s story; the luau at Mauna Kea Resort tells a fantastic one. Even further south, into the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, is the fifth region, the Kau region. This is remote and beautiful. Here is where you can find the black sand beaches, empty beaches, and traces of volcanic eruption. Around the southern tip, back toward Kohala, is Kona. In my opinion, Kona and Kohala tend to merge into one another, as there are plenty of resorts and lovely white beaches in Kona.
What to do on the island of Hawaii
With a massive landmass to cover during your visit, it’s worth it to prioritise your activities to maximise your time. Having a rental car is ideal, especially if you want to get out of the resorts. If you have more than a few days, you’ll be able to drive nearly the entire island. Do not miss stopping in the small towns, as they have some eclectic boutique shopping, funky cafes, and some of the best malasadas (filled Portuguese doughnuts). A drive to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is also a must do, and if you feel like driving into the gorges, there is one small road. While at the resorts, snorkelling is a must do, as especially along the Kohala coast there are green sea turtles. I saw five in the lagoon at the Fairmont! Swimming with manta rays is also a popular activity; go at night with one of the trusted tour operators.
Helicopter tours on the big island
In my personal opinion, a helicopter is by far the best way to see the entire island! During our stay, my assistant and I took the tour called Big Island Spectacular, and it was truly spectacular. I’m going to apologise in advance for the photos as the guy in the front seat had a reflective shirt! It was surreal. I’ve been in helicopters in New Zealand, and this takes the cake. I could not BELIEVE how incredible this two and a half hour tour was. I won’t tell you it was inexpensive, because it was not at all, but it was worth every single penny spent. We also had the chance to take part in the waterfall landing as part of our tour. Toshi, our pilot, played Jurassic Park on our descent – but I won’t give away the rest of his music, sorry.
If you are thinking about a Blue Hawaiian Helicopter tour on the Big Island, reach out and I will book it for you – and request Toshi. Because — WOW. (Please talk to me in person about this if you’re seriously interested, as you cannot see my huge smile as I write this and I honestly loved loved loved it!)
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Hawaii has it all – as I learned last week. With no passport needed, daily flights from across the continental US, and great resorts on all the islands, it’s a great place for family, friends, and romance.
|| Oahu || Maui || Lanai and Kauai ||
